03 May 2004 17:33
Russian gas firm halves supply to Georgia over payment arrears
Tbilisi, 3 May: The Russian company Gazeksport (affiliate of the open joint-stock company Gazprom) has reduced
deliveries of natural gas to Tbilisi as of 1 May in connection with the debts of the gas distribution company in the
Georgian capital, the joint-stock company Tbilgaz.
Up to the beginning of May Gazeksport had been delivering 800-900,000 cu. m. of gas to Tbilisi every 24 hours. This
volume has now been dropped to 400,000 cu. m. [of gas] per 24 hours, a Tbilgaz representative reported to the agency on
Monday [3 May]. He explained that Gazeksport is demanding full payment of the debt for having uninterrupted gas
deliveries in the winter period. The overall debt since December 2003 comes to about 10m dollars.
Currently 600,000 cu. m. of natural gas are coming in to the Georgian capital every day. Of these, 200,000 cu. m. are
being delivered by the Georgian International Gas Corporation, according to the agency's source.
According to the source, Tbilgaz is being forced to start cutting off supplies of gas to debtors. The delivery of gas
has been stopped only to those areas of the city where the level of payment is extremely low. Gas is being delivered in
the normal way to the remaining areas of Tbilisi.
Tbilgaz notes that in the last few days the level of payment for the price of gas among the population has increased
25 per cent. It is expected that, from 4 May, payments for gas that was used by municipal establishments and
organizations will begin from the city budget.
"All of this will make it possible for the company [Tbilgaz] to mobilize its resources to pay off the gas
delivery debt," Tbilgaz said. The International Gas Corporation will be able to help the company with additional
gas deliveries within a week, the agency's source added.
[RIA news agency] |
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